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Hurricane Cindy (Cooper)
Hurricane Cindy was a large, powerful, and destructive tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in the western Caribbean and United States. The third named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, Cindy developed from a tropical wave which emerged off the west coast of Africa on August 21. The wave gradually organized as it moved westward across the tropical Atlantic, coalescing into a tropical depression on August 24. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Cindy the following day while east of the Lesser Antilles. Meteorological history On August 20, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring a large area of disorganized cloudiness and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave over western Africa. The wave moved off the west coast of the continent on the following day with abundant convective activity. The disturbance gradually organized as it moved westward across the tropical Atlantic, with a surface circulation becoming associated with the system by August 23. By 06:00 UTC on the following day, the circulation associated with the disturbance had become sufficiently organized to classify the system as the fifth tropical depression of the 2023 season. Amid favorable environmental conditions, the depression continued to organize, strengthening into Tropical Storm Cindy at 06:00 UTC on August 25. Afterward, further organization was slow to occur due to the system's broad nature and the presence of moderate wind shear. However, the shear abated over the course of the following day, allowing Cindy to resume strengthening as it approached the Windward Islands. At 04:00 UTC on August 27, Cindy made landfall on the island of Saint Lucia as a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Impact 'Lesser Antilles' Upon the designation of Cindy as a tropical cyclone on August 24, tropical storm watches were issued for the Lesser Antilles with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago, later upgraded to a tropical storm warning upon Cindy's designation as a tropical storm on the following day. All warnings were discontinued on August 27 while Cindy continued westward into the Caribbean Sea. Heavy rainfall associated with the large circulation of Cindy caused flash flooding and mudslides across the Lesser Antilles. In Saint Lucia, rainfall totals peaking at 11.4 in (290 mm) resulted in flash flooding and mudslides which damaged or destroyed 16 homes and caused 2 fatalities, with damages totaling $3 million. Aftermath 'Retirement' On April 2, 2024, at the 46th session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Cindy from its rotating name lists due to the damage and deaths it caused, particularly in Jamaica and the United States Gulf Coast, and it will not be used again for another Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with Catherine for the 2029 season. See also * Other tropical cyclones named Cindy * Hurricane Eloise (1975) – Category 3 hurricane that struck the Florida panhandle in September 1975. * Hurricane Opal (1995) – Caused widespread destruction in the same areas. * Hurricane Ivan (2004) – Produced similarly severe impacts in Jamaica and the United States Gulf Coast. * Hurricane Dennis (2005) – Early-forming major hurricane that caused destructive impacts in the same areas. Category:Atlantic hurricanes (Cooper) Category:2023 Atlantic hurricane season (Cooper) Category:Very detailed pages Category:Atlantic hurricanes